Artist Profile: Chris Brown

CW: brief mentions of abuse

Christopher Maurice Brown, better known as Chris Brown or Breezy, is an American actor, dancer, songwriter and singer. Born on May 5, 1989 in Virginia, he got introduced to singing when his family had him participate in their church choir, and he performed in several talent shows at a very young age. Young age is a trend with Breezy, as he signed for Jive Records when he was only 15 years old. He immediately started writing and recording for his first studio album, 2005s self-titled “Chris Brown.” This album includes well known songs like Yo (Excuse Me Miss) and Run It! Which helped the album peak at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart. Although Breezy’s career started off hot, his actions outside of the studio are what made his name come to light. In 2009 his relationship with fellow singer Rihanna took a bad turn, when she left his house bruised and bleeding after a February attack. Brown talked about the attacks to the media and explained that they both hit each other, and that it was a wrong thing to do, but is more common than one would think in a toxic relationship. His relationship with fans and media took a substantial fall more than his relationship with Rihanna, as even after the attacks they were seen together. This incident didn’t dramatically affect his album sales or his popularity, but rather his reputation. His media presence from such a young age was partially ruined because of what happened, and the incident will never be lived down by the public eye.

The first album with major success after his incident was 2014s “X (Expanded Edition)”. This album contains popular songs such as Loyal (ft. Lil Wayne and Tyga), New Flame, and Fine China which allowed him to peak at number two on the Billboard 200, and stay on the charts for 20 weeks. Breezy’s latest album/double album, 2019s “Indigo”, is a follow up to his not-so-popular album “Heartbreak on a Full Moon”. “Indigo” is a perfect example of the sound of the music he wants to produce, and although it didn’t have multiple popular songs, it is one super streamed song, No Guidance (feat. Drake). We all know that basically any song featuring Drake is a hit, but this one was big… really big. The app Tik Tok and major radio stations helped stream this song into history, and you can catch almost anyone singing the chorus. 

Chris Brown is one of the biggest artists of the 2010s, and easily an influential R&B artist for many, as well as a singer. His dance moves are undisputable, and frankly underrated. Breezy has been in the music industry for fifteen years, and any major mess up can easily mess up your stardom on the big stage, but he found a way, whether you agree with it or not. His character can be questioned but his talent cannot. He’s been one of the faces of pop for a long time, and it’s safe to say he’s not going anywhere.